


The Reason Why

by BleuFleur



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Asthma, Asthmatic Scott McCall, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Speculation, ambiguous ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 17:19:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4573035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleuFleur/pseuds/BleuFleur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott needs an answer.  Theo is happy to oblige.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reason Why

"Why?"

The question might have been mistaken as just another wheeze as Scott struggled on the ground through the latest asthma attack, but the werewolf standing over him had been expecting it.

"Normally the alpha spark of a true alpha can only be passed down to a beta of their own making, but you might have noticed that the rules have become more like guidelines in the past few weeks," Theo said conversationally, as if he wasn't watching Scott slowly suffocate in front of him. "But the currents that the so-called Dread Doctors manipulate to insert supernatural abilities into humans also make it easier for powers to be transferred between those of us who are already supernatural...such as any beta in a true alpha's pack inheriting their power when they die." 

Theo smiled down at the broken figure at his feet. 

"And I want what I've always wanted, Scott...to be the Alpha."

The face and scent were different, but the tone and familiar words were unmistakable. Horrified, Scott unconsciously mouthed the name through blue-tinged lips.

_Peter._

The smile on the not-really-a-teenager's face morphed into a satisfied smirk.

"You know, playing lackey to those Doctors as well as your loyal beta since summer's end was annoying at times, but I think it was worth it to see you finally put in your place."

Scott dragged one hand from where it was pressed against his chest to get some leverage in his attempt to distance himself from the new threat. 

"Oh don't worry," Peter mockingly soothed, "I have no intention of laying a single claw on you. That hasn't worked out so well for me in the past, and the beautiful thing is that _I don't have to._ Thanks to the side effects of the Doctors' experiments triggering your asthma attacks, with a little patience you'll just...stop breathing."

Peter kicked an empty inhaler off into the distance.

"My bite gave you everything, and you took it all for granted...your health, your power, your popularity. And now you've lost it all, including your pack." 

"To be honest, with all the trouble you children have caused me, I didn't think you'd make it so easy. I barely had to do anything to splinter you apart."

"I was surprised at the loyalty you inspired in my dear daughter, but Malia sees that you've been getting weaker with every passing day. You may have given her back her human form, but she's still too much of a coyote to stay with a teen wolf who is injured and incapable of leading."

"I suppose I'm indirectly at fault for Lydia losing faith in you. She's very slow to forgive mental intrusions thanks to her less-than-willing assistance in my resurrection, but without any suggestion from me _you_ barged in and went rooting around the memories of that clueless chimera your beta's sidekick tracked down, not caring a bit whether you were turning his brain to mush."

"And speaking of your bitty beta, it was bad enough that you broke your promise to protect the object of his puppy love infatuation, but then you ran off before getting good information about where the Doctors were storing their test subjects. I almost wish I could have felt what it was like when your bond snapped because he realized that I was able to protect him better than you. It's poetic that a crush should drive away your true beta when your obsession with the Argent girl kept you from my side after you were turned."

"I mostly have the Doctors to thank for getting rid of the kitsune. For all your big talk about protecting their victims, you lost your trust in your little girlfriend with barely a nudge from me and sent her fleeing across the country even though she was one of the Doctors' first targets and was being manipulated under your nose the whole time."

Peter crouched down, placing a hand gently on Scott's shoulder as he shuddered from the struggle to inhale. 

"No, the only one that required a personal touch to break away from you was the one I expected to be the toughest. That's why I sent Donovan after Stiles. Either the chimera would eliminate the human or Stiles would kill his attacker in self-defense and your ridiculous fixation on saving everyone would drive a wedge between you.

"I always liked Stiles, and now I've saved his life on several occasions when you were nowhere to be found. Mix all that with his father's reluctance to sweep the fallout of your supernatural skirmishes under the rug anymore and, well, it's no surprise that the lure of a sympathetic ear finally overwhelmed his lingering suspicion of me."

Peter stood, all traces of his amusement wiped away. 

"Everyone left you, Scott, and it's your fault. And when you take that last breath, your power is going to go the only person who stayed with you, for better or worse."

"But don't worry, I'll take care of them once you're gone. After all, they all trust their friend Theo."

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty much from the first episode this season, I've been comparing Peter and Theo and wondering which is the better schemer. I've been hampered in my debate because after eight episodes it's still not completely clear what Theo's end-game is. To compare apples to apples, I finally decided to assume that Theo's goal is the same as Peter's - become the Alpha and control Beacon Hills. Then, my mind decided to go that extra distance and wonder if Theo and Peter had the same goal because they're the same person.
> 
> Obviously, Theo is not Peter. The audience (and Lydia, now that I think about it) has seen what Peter looked like when he was younger thanks to flashbacks and hallucinations. But once this idea wormed itself into my head, it seemed more fun to write a little scene than just a list of what-ifs and I couldn't help but run with it. 
> 
> I couldn't really work it all into the story, but here's the rough idea of how Peter turns into Theo: Peter gets thrown into Valack's cell, where Valack torments him. Peter is injured/goes semi-catatonic as a result, and gets moved to a facility other than Eichen House. Either en route or at the other facility, Peter runs into the Doctors, who he recognizes from some of Valack's memories that spilled over. Peter strikes a bargain with them - a town with all the teenagers they want and access to currents tied to the Nemeton in exchange for performing a variation of the ritual used to de-age Derek (which would also alter his scent) and an opportunity to infiltrate the Beacon Hills pack. Peter's not one to shy away from elaborate plans, so he did his research on people who Scott would be inclined to trust from his childhood but hadn't kept in touch with, ultimately selected Theo, killed him in an encounter much like Peter!Theo described as how he was bitten, then killed the rest of the Raeken family to steal their identities. 
> 
> I like the way it has the potential for answering some of the other questions dangling out there. Theo's full shift? We know the full shift runs in the Hale bloodline. Lack of blue eyes? Side effect of the de-aging ritual. Comments that Malia and Theo look somewhat alike? Makes sense that there's a resemblance if they're father and daughter. The ease at which he's able to play everyone? Not so hard to do when you've been around them so much. Theo's "parents"? People he paid and/or coerced into playing the part for him. Peter being absent from Eichen House? Taken to a different facility. Theo helping to set up the Doctors' attack on Valack? Peter wanted revenge. Theo's confusion over who is taking the bodies? No one in the pack, including Peter, had a clue what Parrish is. 
> 
> In the end, Theo being Peter is just a crack theory, but it was so much fun to think about.


End file.
